Two
candidates who lost close run-off contests for the Los Angeles Superior Court
last year took out papers yesterday to run again.

Deputy
District Attorney Craig Renetzky took out papers to run for the seat of Judge
Nancy Brown, who told the MetNews last week she has not decided whether to seek
another term, while Workers’ Compensation Judge John Gutierrez prepared to file
for the seat now held by Judge Richard C. Hubbell.

Hubbell
said Monday he would not seek another term.

Another
potential candidate, Deputy District Attorney Laura Priver, also took out
papers to run for the Brown seat. Both Priver and Renetzky said they would
search out other seats to run for if Brown decides to file.

Renetzky
was defeated last November by Richard Naranjo, who now sits in Lancaster.
Naranjo was also a deputy district attorney when he ran.

“I
plan on using my experiences last time to my benefit,” Renetzky, who drew more
than 47 percent of the vote last time, explained. “I’m going to spend more
money and I’m a little more organized....I hope to run a better campaign.”

Renetzky
has been a prosecutor since 1991. He is a graduate of ColoradoCollege
and USCLawSchool.

He
said he is considering several possible choices as a campaign consultant. But
he won’t be using Fred Huebscher, who did his previous campaign.

Huebscher
is working for Priver.

Priver,
45, said she decided to run for judge because she is at a “crossroads” in her
career after 19 years in the District Attorney’s Office, although she is “very
happy” with her work.

“I’ve
been very lucky,” she said. “I’ve had wonderful assignments,” she added,
including her current one as legal adviser to the criminal grand jury.

Priver,
a graduate of IndianaUniversity
and Whittier School of Law, has been deputy-in-charge of juvenile court
prosecution in Compton,
Sylmar and Pasadena
and was a trial deputy in Pasadena.
She has handled a variety of cases, she noted, including sex crimes and
homicides.

Gutierrez
drew more than 48.6 percent of the vote in losing to then-Deputy District
Attorney Richard Walmark. He became the second candidate to pull papers for
Hubbell’s seat, after Deputy District Attorney Patrick David Campbell.

Campbell
had previously taken out papers to run for the Brown seat, but said yesterday
he is now committed to running for the Hubbell seat.

Superior
Court Referee Mildred Escobedo has taken out papers to run for the Brown seat,
as well as for that of Judge Marcus O. Tucker, who is not running for
re-election. Deputy District Attorney Edward Nison and Superior Court Research
Attorney Kevin Notre have also taken out papers for the Tucker seat.

Two
other prosecutors, Deputy District Attorneys Jeffrey Gootman and Judith L.
Meyer, have expressed interest in running for open seats.

Gootman,
who works in Lancaster,
took out papers Friday to seek the seat of Judge Chesley N. McKay Jr. Gootman
said he had not spoken to McKay, but had heard that the judge was not planning
to run for another term.

McKay,
who has been out sick and is not expected to return to court until January, did
not return a phone call seeking comment on his plans.

Meyer,
who said several weeks ago she would run for an open seat, has retained Cerrell
Associates, Inc. as her consulting firm. She said yesterday she will bide her
time before deciding which race to enter.

Monday is the first day for candidates to
file declarations of intention to run. The filing deadline is Nov. 5 for
incumbents and their challengers, and five days later for those seeking open
seats.